For Steve Rain, 53, who has worked in the car manufacturing industry all his life the employment landscape is worryingly familiar. For the last year he has worked as a quality control contractor for Bentley but after having his hours cut back in December, he has just been told there is little chance he will be needed after Christmas.

Rain previously worked for MG Rover, and was one of 6,000 employees left without work when the plant closed in 2005. "I've been here before and if anything, it feels more bleak than last time," he said. "It hurts because we used to be a country of innovators, and we are fast going downhill."

In the late 80s, when the last recession struck, Rain was self-employed doing repairs and building bespoke vehicles. He managed to survive until 1992, but after almost losing his home because he couldn't keep up with mortgage repayments, he joined MG Rover in the hope of more job security. He is proud to have worked for MG Rover, and to have been part of the team that built and tested the new Mini, but he struggled to find work after the plant's closure. "I think this time it's going to be impossible for people being laid off at Bentley to walk into another job. It's just not going to happen."

He has an interview with the job centre today, and hopes to find work closer to home - but is not confident of finding anything soon. "My age doesn't help. I have reams of hands-on experience, but they don't always want that now. They want young ones with degrees."